The Fighter
by Save-A-Horse-Ride-A-Ponyboy
Summary: AU Sodapop Curtis has just been drafted to fight in the brutal war of Vietnam. Soda will have to live without his brother, fight in a war he doesn't even understand, dodge the Vietcongs and he'll even meet a friend along the way...


**Disclaimer: I do not own either the lyrics of 'The Fighter or 'The Outsiders'**

**'The Fighter' is owned by the talented band The Fray, and the 'The Outsiders' belongs to the most talented author, S.E Hinton.**

**Because if I owned The Outsiders there would be a sequel... -whistles- **

**Hello fellow Outsiders fan.**

**I decided to give up on 'Revenge' temporarily due to the fact that I had written it a while back then posted it... honestly not my best work. I have grown more as a writer and I would like to be able to prove that. I also have been dying to do this story as well... It actually included a character that I created myself that goes along with a story that I, myself actually wrote! So I guess it gives me a sense of pride and ownership in a way. :))**

**Btw I'm fairly sure the events in 'The Outsiders' took place in 1965... so that would mean Sodapop is 18 going on 19 in early 1968, Ponyboy is 16 going on 17, and Darry is 23. I believe my facts are accurate. Notify me if I'm wrong! **

**Please Enjoy. **

_**The lover held her love  
She begged him not to go  
The fighter wrapped his gloves  
The fighter said I know, I know, I know.**_

_**-The Fray**_

_**Wednesday  
**_March 27th, 1968

"Got 'er number?" Steve Randle asked Sodapop Curtis, as he swaggered over into the station, a smirk playing on his grease-stained face.

The weather was nice on that March afternoon. The air was slightly cool due to the recently past winter- a brutal, snowy one. But the snow had melted away, leaving soft, squishy soil that seeped between the toes of barefoot children. The sky was a pale blue, lined with whispy white clouds in which the sun peered through, weakly warming the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

"Sure did." Soda replied, a smug grin coming across his charming features; features that attracted greaser and social girls alike. He whisked out a scrap piece of paper, which had neatly printed numbers in pink ink. Obviously girls work. "All seven digits my greasy friend."

"I dunno how you do it buddy." Steve said as he closed the hood of a forest green mustang. "How manys' that today?"

Soda thought for a moment, looking up at the popcorn ceiling in thought. "Mmm about six. But I think I liked number three the best."

"The blondie with the big jugs?" Steve asked.

"Nah Two-Bit has dibs on those ones."

Steve looked at Soda blankly for a moment. "You were eyeing that hippie chick? Awh cmon Soda you can do better 'an that."

"No not her stupid." Soda said, rolling his eyes. "I ripped up her number the moment she handed it to me. She wanted me to go to some anti-war fest or something of the sorts. Prolly yap on about flower power, shoot up some junk and do whatever those flower power kids do."

"Crazy, the whole lot of 'em." Steve grumbled, shaking his head. "So which one was it buddy?"

"I liked that one that was about ye' high," Soda described, putting his hand between his nose and upper lip. "Black hair, kinda giggly. I'm pretty sure she was from the other side. But she digged pretty good."

Steve thought for a moment, "Too bubbly. But if you like her, you should go after her. Maybe then you, me, Evie and whatsherface can start goin' out with Two-Bit and Kathy again."

Soda shrugged, "Ah I dunno Stevie. Just talked to the girl today. Maybe somethin'll happen. But I don't know yet."

Steve shook his head, knowing that his best friend was still somewhat iffy around the ladies because of Sandy. Two, almost three years and he still couldn't settle with a girl as easy as he could before Sandy had two-timed him. 'Forget about her.' Steve had told him countless times, 'Ain't nothin but the town bicycle.' But nothing phased Soda.

"AYE CURTIS, RANDLE," Chip-their boss yelled at them, "I AIN'T PAYIN' YA'LL TO STAND 'ROUND WITH YOUR HEAD UP YOUR ASSES. GET BACK TO WORK."

"You're barely payin' us at all." Steve grumbled as he wiped his greased hands onto his hands, leaving two black hand prints.

"See ya bud." Sodapop muttered with a wave as he headed into the chilly spring air.

xXx

"Wanna head over to my apartment or somethin'?" Steve asked as their last customer of the day drove away with brand new tires, and a full tank of gas. But it was a social. With the amount of cruising they did all over the city, that'd be good enough for a day.

"We gotta pick up Pone from practice first." Soda said, as he waved goodbye at Nate, who was in charge of the DX during the evening on Wednesdays.

"Two-Bit still won't loan the kid his car eh?" Steve asked as he sat down on the worn out seat of his truck.

"Nup. Not even we fixed it up after Pony's lil' fender bender."

"You think with a brother like you, that kid would be able to steer a car straight." Steve said, rolling his brown eyes as he turned the keys of the ignition, and pulled out of the DX with a sharp turn.

"He has different things on his mind." Soda shrugged.

"Like what?"

"Ah lay off Steve. He ain't even here to defend himself." Soda protested, "That ain't a fair fight."

"I guess." Steve said with a shrug, and with a turn of the knob, the boys allowed Elvis to sing them to Will Rodgers High School.

xXx

Steve pulled the truck up to the parking lot and turned the key, the rattly engine coming to a halt. Then he and Soda waited, each of them drumming their fingers on the sides of their window.

"Ain't the kid s'posed to be done now?" Steve groaned, already growing impatient after five minutes.

"He is. Maybe they're talkin'." Soda suggested, opening the car door. "I'll go get em'. Wanna come?"

"Why not? Ain't got nuttin better to do then wait on your lollygaggin' kid brother." Steve muttered.

Even after three years, there was some tension between Ponyboy and Steve. They still loved to bicker over the most measliest of situations. The other always finding fault in the others opinion. But they still defended one another when somebody not in the Curtis circle insulted the other. They cared about each other. Everybody in the gang could pick that out with ease.

Sodapop hitched his thumbs in his pocket and walked across the campus yard, that he hadn't stepped on as a student in years. He'd only come to the school when he was able to watch Ponyboy run. Other than that the school was just another unfinished task like the piling bills that he and Darry would sort through tonight.

As they made their way closer, several kids in matching practice uniforms, drenched and sweat scattered around the track. Some of them sticking by to practice a few more laps. Others leaning up against the wall passing around a cigarette. Some simply conversing over the latest Will Rodgers gossip. But no Ponyboy in sight.

"Where is that ki-"

Soda cut off Steve with an elbow to the gut. "Looky over there."

"Well would you look at that. Never thought the kid had it in him." Steve clicked.

Right under the bleacher was Ponyboy, his arms around a girl with carmel-colored hair. He was looking down at her saying something, unheard to the other boys. But it had to be something that made the girl melt. She started giggling and nuzzled her head under Ponyboy's chin. Ponyboy said something, unheard but the boys knew what he was saying by the movements of his lips. The three syllable sentence that every girl they knew was anxious to hear.

The girl leaned her face close to Pony's and Pony neared his to hers. Soon both of them were lip locked. Each of their heads being shoved back slightly as the other tried to take defiance in the kiss.

"Damn, and to think I thought kid was gonna come out and say he was a pansy or somethin"

"C'mon lets go." Soda urged his friend back towards the truck.

The two boys opened their opposing doors and sat in the truck casually, waiting once more on the boy. This time with more patience.

Not too long after Steve decided to start up the car Ponyboy made his way to the truck, waving his goodbyes to a few track buddies. But not the mystery girl.

Pony had changed the most out of the gang- physically. He was much more taller, an inch above Two-Bit and just at Steve and Soda's foreheads. But Darry still held a good five or so inches over his head. He had toned himself up and wasn't as scrawny.

He looked more like Soda in the face than anybody. His hair had lightened up a lot too. Turning itself into a copper color. Not quite like Soda's wheat gold hair.

But unlike Pony, everybody else appeared the same. Two-Bit still had his rusty sideburns, though not as thick as they were. Kathy had asked him to trim them down a bit. Steve still looked the same. His hair constantly oiled back in it's swirls, Soda- still charming as ever. Darry still looked the same, only gaining faint lines of worry on his face from Pony finally earning his driving ability and Soda eligible for the draft board. Not lines of an old person. Just lines of somebody forced to grow up too fast.

But as a joke Two-Bit has claimed that Darry was going gray. Which only resulted in his rear-end meeting the floor of the Curtis house.

Ponyboy, who had shot up several inches and was now just hovering under Soda made his way to the car. He had a natural expression. Not too stern and serious as though trying to seem normal, but not overly casual.

"Hey Soda." Ponyboy greeted, as Soda stepped out of the car, allowing Pony to sit in the middle with his track gear on his lap.

"Hey kiddo." Soda said with a playful grin.

"Ya'll playin any games kid?" Steve asked as he turned the key.

"Huh?" Ponyboy asked. "I only run track stupid."

"Nah not sports." Steve laughed, "I mean a good game of tonsil hockey."

With that him and Soda were laughing hysterically, and Soda wrapped his arm around the furiously blushing teenager.

"Who is she kid?" Soda laughed.

"How did you-"

"I got sick of waitin' for your ass." Steve interrupted.

Pony groaned and muttered something that sure sounded like, "No good nosy impatient bastards."

Soda just laughed and playfully punched Ponyboy in the arm as Steve got back on the stretch of road. "So whose the broad you've been sharing spit with?"

"Soda shuttup." Ponyboy fumed, his ears turning flaming red.

"I'm just screwin' with you." Soda laughed, his manipulative grin wiping the scowl off Pony's face. "What's her name?"

"Karen. Karen Anders." Ponyboy answered.

"That sounds nice." Soda said with a nod, "So when are me and Darry gonna meet her?"

"I-I don't know." Pony said.

"What? You didn't think your brothers would find out about you two? I thought I heard jumping on your bed kiddo." Steve cracked, sending him and Soda into another fit of laughter, and Ponyboy blushing two a crimson color, two shades deeper than earlier.

"Lay off." Pony muttered, slumping back.

"Ah we're just messin kid." Soda laughed, ruffling his hair. A habit, still not let up from years earlier.

"Can we just go home?" Ponyboy pleaded.

"Yeah yeah yeah." Steve said, a smug smile still plastered onto his face.

xXx

"You guys got any cake left?" Steve asked as he hopped out of the car and up the sidewalk.

"Yup." Sodapop answered as he pulled out a stack of envelopes. He might as well go through the bills. Put some ease on Darry for a while. "Pony get started on your homework." Might as well kill two birds with one stone.

"Alright Darry." Ponyboy groaned, as he poured himself a glass of chocolate milk.

Sodapop ignored his response and shuffled through the envelopes. Luckily none of them wore the scary red print that read: URGENT. They seemed pretty up-to-date on everything. But then suddenly Soda came across a peculiar envelope.

It was addressed to him and was from the Department of the Army.

Soda's heart instantly sunk, and his color drained from his face. With trembling fingers he peeled open the envelope and held out the thick parchment-like paper.

_"Dear Sodapop Patrick Curtis,_

_You have been selected to serve your country in the Vietnam war. You are to present yourself at the Tulsa Recruitment Offices for a full medical examination. After this examination you are scheduled to report on duty on 7 April..."_

Along with the letter had been some extra information and the American seal. But that's all Soda read. It's all he could read.

He had been drafted. He, a mechanic had been drafted. He was going to have to fight in the war of Vietnam.

"Soda you okay?" Steve asked, his mouth full of cake.

"Whats the matter Soda?" Ponyboy asked, leaning up against the wall, his eyes full of concern.

He could barely find his voice.

"I-I've been drafted."

Silence.

**Approved?**

**Yes? No.**

**Sorry if it's not the best.**

**Better than what I have done I hope. But one thing I do not know... what a draft letter truly looks like. I kinda pulled that with hope of it being good. Might not be the best but hell I'm 14.**

**But don't let my age hold back from critiquing me! It helps a whole lot!**

**Stay Gold.**

**-Sarah. **


End file.
